


Initiation

by thunderstorm (ConsultingTimelordWizard)



Series: 30 Days of Mass Effect [5]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Colonist (Mass Effect), Mass Effect 1, Understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 10:05:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12724515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsultingTimelordWizard/pseuds/thunderstorm
Summary: “Ash, some of the comments you’ve been making have concerned me,” she stared slowly, chewing the inside of her cheek when Ashley went tense. “You’re an excellent soldier, and polite to our alien squadmates, but I need to know for certain that you will cover their six like you’d cover mine or Kaidan’s.”





	Initiation

**Author's Note:**

> This had started out as writing about Jane becoming a Spectre and somehow turned into Jane and Ashley dealing with xenophobia/coming to terms with one another. Might not fit the prompt exactly, but I like it so ah well.

Jane hadn’t expected to be a candidate for Spectre, but she knew her translator wasn’t broken. She understood everything else Nihlus had told her, though the conversation had been stilted at best. She’d never been good at small talk, unlike her brother. She was far kinder--they’d both be the first ones to admit it--and he was much more brutal, but John could talk with anyone and act like either their best friend or their worst enemy.

John, in her mind, was a far better candidate for Spectre status than she was. Why was it that she was being offered the chance?

Jane hadn’t been able to ask Nihlus or Anderson, unfortunately, until the Normandy was en route to the Citadel and the Prothean beacon had nearly fried her mind. None of it made sense. She could hear screaming and shrieking, probably from when the Prothean race was dying. No one really knew how that happened, but this was a possible step to finding out--if they could find someone to translate it, that is.

Not to mention that Saren had gone and killed Nihlus. 

Of course the Council would believe Saren over Anderson and herself. Udina, for all that he bothered her, pushed greatly for them to actually listen, but the Council wouldn’t budge. Saren was the Council’s star Spectre, after all. That any of them had expected the Council to listen to anyone beyond that turian was beyond Jane. It took searching all over the Citadel to find the evidence she needed, and she’d gained companions along the way.

Anderson had directed her to Garrus Vakarian first, a C-Sec officer that she remembered meeting right before she’d gone to talk to the Council. He was impulsive and a bit hot-headed, if shooting a thug while the hostage was right there said anything about him. Jane had scolded him for it, and she was sure he didn’t appreciate it, but Garrus had asked to stick around anyway. Then came Wrex, a burly krogan that Jane didn’t quite have an impression of yet. He was a dedicated mercenary, though, and took out Fist even after she’d attempted to spare the man. That led them to Tali, the quarian on her pilgrimage that had the evidence they needed to get Saren convicted. She seemed a bit too eager, honestly, and a bit uncertain, but Tali knew her way around the engine room better even than Adams, or so Jane was told. 

Kaidan didn’t mind having alien crewmates, thankfully. Though he was ignorant toward some of the species (especially the quarians), he tried to remain as respectful as possible and seemed to get along well with Liara, their newest addition to the crew. Liara seemed quiet and unsure of herself unless it came to Prothean history, but her biotics were to be reckoned with. Jane recalled hearing Kaidan whistle appreciatively when she knocked a krogan battlemaster halfway across the room they’d been in, and Jane had to agree.

Ashley, however, was another matter entirely. Jane had expected xenophobia from some of her crew even as she added alien after alien to her team, but for the most part they could avoid coming in contact with one another unless they went to the mess all at once. Ashley, though, was a squadmate, and had made her dislike for aliens abundantly clear whenever Jane made her rounds. Her dislike toward Garrus in particular rubbed Jane the wrong way, though as someone who’d had family in the First Contact War as well. Even now Jane bristled slightly whenever she came across a turian; she was just glad she managed not to when Garrus was around. He was a good guy, and a hell of a shot. Jane didn’t want to ruin that potential friendship over internalized xenophobia. 

“Got a minute, chief?” Jane asked as she made her rounds once again, leaning against the wall beside Ashley’s station and crossing her arms. The gunnery chief looked over and immediately straightened her posture, nodding.

“Always do, ma’am. What can I do for you?”

“Ash, some of the comments you’ve been making have concerned me,” she stared slowly, chewing the inside of her cheek when Ashley went tense. “You’re an excellent soldier, and polite to our alien squadmates, but I need to know for certain that you will cover their six like you’d cover mine or Kaidan’s.”

“Ma’am, if I ever made the impression that I wouldn’t--”

“I know it’s just your reaction, and I get where you’re coming from. My father was the same way.” Jane sighed. “But you’ve been hesitant to provide cover fire for Garrus, Wrex, Tali, and Liara than you have been with myself and Kaidan. We’re a team, chief, and we need to work together.”

Ashley sighed quietly and nodded, shoulders slumping uncharacteristically. For as long as she’d known the chief, she’d been the perfect example of militaristic behavior. Seeing her leave a stiff posture was different. “You tell me to jump, I’ll ask how high. You tell me to kiss a turian, I’ll ask which cheek.”

“I don’t think kissing turians will be necessary,” Jane said with a chuckle. Thankfully it got a laugh from Ashley too, and the tension that had been building up dissipated. 

“Can’t say that’s not a relief.” Ashley paused for a moment. “What can I do to prove that I won’t put our team in danger?”

“Just jump to help when you can, Ash. Maybe talk to them every now and again over dinner. They’re great people if you give them a chance.”

Ashley exhaled slowly and gave Jane a smile. “I’ll try, ma’am. Shepard. Thank you.”

Jane nodded and patted Ashley on the shoulder. “Thank you. Dismissed, chief.”

Ashley nodded and tilted her head up high. “Ma’am.”


End file.
